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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · face · clip · trunk · nail · wake · bound · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. face — to confront
  22. clip — a video
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com